Importing Wood Packaging Material from All Countries

1 November 2009

wood-packaging

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AUTHORISATION

This import health standard is issued in accordance with Section 22 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 (the Act).

IHS Date: 1 November 2009

Director-General
Plant Imports & Exports Group
Border Standards Directorate
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand
(Issued under delegated authority)

CONTENTS

  1. Official Contact Point
  2. General Import Requirements
  3. Specific Import Requirements for Wood Packaging Material
  4. Requirements on Arrival in New Zealand
  5. Appendix 1 Approved Methods Of Treatment According To ISPM15
  6. Appendix 2 Systems Acceptable For The Marking Of Wood Packaging Materials Treated According To ISPM 15
  7. Appendix 3 Other Treatments Approved For New Zealand

1 Official Contact Point

1.1 The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) is the official contact point in New Zealand for overseas National Plant Protection Organisations (NPPO) and importers. Any enquiries about this import health standard and requests for copies of this standard should be addressed to:

Plant Imports
Border Standards
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand
PO Box 2526
Wellington, NEW ZEALAND

Fax: +64 4 894 0662
E-mail: plantimports@maf.govt.nz
Web: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz (offsite link to www.biosecurity.govt.nz)

1.2 Import health standards for forest produce and other related documents are available at the following web site address:

A register of import health standards is available for inspection at the office of the Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry located at: 25 The Terrace, Pastoral House, Wellington.

2 General Import Requirements

2.1 SCOPE

2.1.1 This import health standard describes the phytosanitary requirements that must be met for wood packaging material to be given biosecurity clearance into New Zealand.

2.1.2 Regulated Commodities

Wood packaging material is defined as wood or wood products (excluding paper products) used in material supporting, protecting or carrying a commodity (includes dunnage) [ISPM Pub. No. 15, 2002].

Wood packaging material includes items such as dunnage, crates, fillets, spacers, pallets, drums, and reels. Although exempt from ISPM 15, peeler cores are regulated by MAF under this standard when they are used for wood packaging.

2.1.3 Commodities Exempt

  • Wood packaging made wholly of manufactured wood such as plywood, particleboard, oriented strand board, fibreboard, veneer, and chip board are regulated according to the Import Health Standard Wooden Panels from All Countries.
  • Wood packaging material such as sawdust, wood wool, and shavings, are regulated according to the Import Health Standard Sawdust, Wood Chips, Wood Shavings, and Wood Wool from All Countries.
  • Animal crates used for the transportation of live animals by air and wine barrels are regulated by the Import Health Standard Woodware from All Countries.
  • Thin wood, which is considered to be 6mm thickness or less, is exempt from the requirements of this standard.
  • Wood components permanently attached to freight vehicles and containers are exempt from the requirements of this standard.

2.2 REFERENCES

2.2.1 This import health standard has been developed under the requirements of the Biosecurity Act (1993) and in regard to New Zealand’s obligations under the International Plant Protection Convention (1997).

Compliance with the provisions of this import health standard does not absolve the importer of the need to comply with other laws relating to or prohibiting the importation of goods (e.g. Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989, Customs and Excise Act 1996).

2.2.2 This import health standard refers to the following documents:

2.3 DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS

2.3.1 Any terms defined in the Biosecurity Act (1993) or by the International Plant Protection Convention (1997) and used in but not otherwise defined in this import health standard have the same meaning as in the Act, or as in ISPM Pub. No. 5, 2009.

Bark Free Wood Wood from which all bark, except in-grown bark around knots and bark pockets between rings of annual growth, has been removed [ISPM Pub. No. 5, 2009]
Inspector As defined by the Biosecurity Act 1993, Part 1, 2 (1)
ISPM 15 International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures, Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade, Pub. No. 15, 2009. http://www.ippc.int (offsite link to www.ippc.int)
MAF The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, New Zealand
NPPO National Plant Protection Organisation

3. SPECIFIC IMPORT REQUIREMENTS FOR WOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL

3.1 SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

3.1.1 Imported wood packaging material must be:

  1. Free of regulated pests
  2. Free of extraneous material (e.g. leaves, soil)
  3. Bark-free, in accordance with section 4.3.2
  4. Treated, in accordance with section 3.2
  5. Certified, in accordance with section 3.3

3.2 TREATMENT REQUIREMENTS

3.2.1 Wood packaging must be treated according to the schedules set out in ISPM 15 (Appendix 1) OR according to the treatments in Appendix 3.

3.3 CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

3.3.1 Wood packaging treated to the ISPM 15 standard (see Appendix 1) must be marked according to Appendix 2 or certified as per 3.3.2.

3.3.2 Wood packaging treated with other treatments (Appendix 3) must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with the treatment detailed in the Treatment Section or a NPPO-endorsed treatment certificate.

3.4 REPAIRED AND REMANUFACTURED WOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL

3.4.1 Repaired wood packaging material is wood packaging that has had up to approximately one third of its components removed and placed. Repaired wood packaging material should be re-certified and remarked. All components of such material should have been treated.

3.4.2 Remanufactured wood packaging material is wood packaging that has had more than approximately one third of its components replaced. Remanufactured wood packaging material must have any previous applications of the mark permanently obliterated (e.g. by covering with paint or grinding). Remanufactured wood packaging material must be re-treated and a new mark must then be applied for compliance with this standard.

4 REQUIREMENTS ON ARRIVAL IN NEW ZEALAND

The importer shall meet all costs specified in the Biosecurity (Costs) Regulations associated with the inspection, identification of organisms and clearance of goods imported under this standard. Any treatment, if required, will be at the importer's expense.

4.1 INSPECTION ON ARRIVAL IN NEW ZEALAND

4.1.1 MAF will risk profile all cargo consignments with wood packaging material and select a sample for inspection.

4.1.2 If the wood packaging is not accompanied by the proper certification or marked according to section 3.3, the wood packaging material will be considered untreated.

4.1.3 Wood packaging material that does not comply with this Import Health Standard may be inspected by a MAF inspector and released, treated, reshipped or destroyed under the direction of MAF and at the importer’s expense.

4.1.4 All inspections completed on arrival in New Zealand will be carried out at the port of arrival or at a transitional facility approved by MAF.

4.1.5 Wood packaging material associated with consignments that are not specifically selected by the risk profile may also be subject to inspection by MAF at a transitional facility or port of arrival.

4.2 TRANSIT REQUIREMENTS

4.2.1 Consignments arriving in New Zealand and bound for other countries must meet the import requirements of this standard.

4.2.2 Wood packaging material reshipped to other countries from the port of arrival within 14 days will meet the requirements of this standard to bring the consignment into compliance.

4.3 ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN ON THE INTERCEPTION/DETECTION OF ORGANISMS/CONTAMINANTS

4.3.1 Any live organisms detected on or in imported wood packaging material may be identified, at the discretion of MAF and at the expense of the importer, to determine the regulatory status of the organism. Identifications will be carried out regardless of prior or subsequent treatment(s) or action(s) applied to the wood packaging material.

4.3.2 Wood packaging material contaminated with bark, soil, or other extraneous organic material (e.g. leaves, twigs) shall have the contaminating material removed (if possible) or treated, re-shipped or destroyed. Small and clearly distinct pieces of bark may remain on ISPM 15 marked wood packaging material if they are:

  • less than 3cm in width (regardless of the length), or
  • greater than 3cm in width, provided that the total surface area of an individual piece of bark is less than 50cm2.

4.3.3 If regulated pests or contaminants are intercepted/detected on or in the wood packaging material, one or more of the following actions will be undertaken if deemed to be appropriate in the circumstances:

  • Reshipment of the consignment, lot, or wood packaging material;
  • Treatment (where possible) of the consignment, lot, or wood packaging material;
  • Destruction of the consignment, lot, or wood packaging material in an appropriate manner;
  • Identification of the importer, agent or supplier, and an alert profile applied to stop all, or a sample of subsequent consignments for inspection as risk goods;
  • The suspension of the pathway, until the cause of the non-compliance is investigated, identified and rectified to the satisfaction of MAF.

4.3.4 All treatments completed on arrival in New Zealand shall be carried out in a transitional facility approved by MAF. Goods must be treated by a MAF approved treatment supplier or under the supervision of MAF or an Independent Verification Agency.

4.4 BIOSECURITY CLEARANCE

4.4.1 If the requirements of this import health standard have been met, and regulated pests are not detected or are successfully treated following detection, biosecurity clearance will be given.

APPENDIX 1

APPROVED METHODS OF TREATMENT ACCORDING TO ISPM 15

1. Heat Treatment

Wood packaging material must be heated in accordance with a specific time-temperature schedule that achieves a minimum temperature of 56°C for a minimum duration of 30 continuous minutes throughout the entire profile of the wood (including at its core). Kiln-drying, chemical pressure impregnation, or other treatments may be used as a means of achieving heat treatment provided that the above temperature and time requirements are met.

Note: For heat treatment, the removal of bark can be carried out before or after treatment.

OR

2. Fumigation

Wood may be fumigated with methyl bromide at normal atmospheric pressure at the following rates:

Table 1: Minimum CT over 24 hours for wood packaging material fumigated with methyl bromide.

Temperature CT1 (g-h/ m3) over 24 h Minimum final concentration (g/ m3) after 24 h
21o C or above 650 24
16o C or above 800 28
10o C or above 900 32

One example of a schedule that may be used for achieving the specified requirements is shown in Table 2.

1The CT product utilised for methyl bromide treatment in this standard is the sum of the product of the concentration (g/m3) and time (h) over the duration of the treatment.

Table 2: Example of a treatment schedule that achieves the minimum required CT for wood packaging material treated with methyl bromide (initial doses may need to be higher in conditions of high sorption or leakage)

Temperature Dosage

g/m3

Minimum concentration (g/m3) at:
2 hrs. 4 hrs. 24 hrs.
21o C or above 48 36 31 24
16o C or above 56 42 36 28
10o C or above 64 48 42 32

Please note that methyl bromide is an ozone-depleting substance and, as such, its use is not encouraged when alternatives are available. Although its use as a quarantine treatment presently exempts it from consumption controls under the Montreal Protocol, it is not known how long this exemption will remain in effect.

APPENDIX 2

SYSTEMS ACCEPTABLE FOR THE MARKING OF WOOD PACKAGING MATERIALS TREATED ACCORDING TO ISPM 15

Wood packaging material that has been treated by one of the methods specified in Appendix 1 and in a manner that is officially endorsed by the NPPO of the country from which the wood packaging material originates, may be permitted entry into New Zealand provided the wood packaging material is marked as follows:

1. The mark must include:

  • • the IPPC symbol for treated wood packaging materials (as per Annex II of the "International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures #15: Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade"). An example is reproduced below.

ippc-logoWhere XX represents the International Standards Organisation two letter country code for the country in which the wood packaging is produced and 000 represents the official certification number issued to the facility producing the compliant wood packaging by the National Plant Protection Organisation and YY represents the treatment carried out (e.g. HT for heat treated wood or MB for methyl bromide treated wood).

2. No other information shall be contained within the border of the mark. If additional marks (e.g. trademarks of the producer, logo of the authorising body) are considered useful to protect the use of the mark, such information shall be provided adjacent to but outside of the border of the mark.

3. Markings should be:

  • legible
  • durable and not transferable (tags are not allowed)
  • placed in a visible location on at least two opposite sides of the article being certified
  • not hand drawn

4. The colors: red or orange should be avoided.

APPENDIX 3

OTHER TREATMENTS APPROVED FOR NEW ZEALAND

1) Fumigation with phosphine at 200ppm minimum atmospheric concentration for the temperature and time rates specified in the following table:

Temperature (oC) Duration
10-15 15 Days
16-20 12 Days
21-25 9 Days
26-35 5 Days

2) Chemical preservation to full sapwood penetration as specified in the following table:

 

Chemical Minimum Retention
Boron compounds

(insecticidal and limited fungicidal protection)

0.1% Boric Acid equivalent minimum loading in the sapwood core for Soft Wood

0.2% mass/mass sapwood core for Hardwood

Copper + didecyldimethyl ammonium chloride (DDAC)

(insecticidal & fungicidal protection)

0.35% mass/mass OR

2.8 kg/m3 in softwood timbers,

5.60 kg/m3 in hardwood timbers.

Copper azole

(insecticidal & fungicidal protection)

0.23% mass/mass OR

1.35 kg/m3 in softwood timbers,

2.7 kg/m3 in hardwood timbers.

Copper Chrome Arsenic (CCA)

(insecticidal & fungicidal protection)

0.32% mass/mass OR

3kg/m3 minimum preservative retention

Propiconaole and Tebuconazole

(insecticidal & fungicidal protection)

Minimum retention of 0.3% Propinazole + 0.03% Tebuconazole m/m.

 

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